When Honor and Duty Collide
by AliasCWN
Summary: Tully is captured and Moffitt and Hitch need a little help to get him back.
1. Chapter 1

**When Honor and Duty Collide**

By:AliasCWN

Chapter 1

The tall German captain paced his office restlessly. Occasionally he would glance down at the report placed squarely in the center of his desk. His arch enemy, the Rat Patrol, had been spotted in his sector only yesterday. Headquarters had been very specific; the supplies currently stored on his base must get through! They would accept no excuses, the convoy had to successfully deliver the supplies or he would be transferred to the Russian front. The responsibility for the delivery sat squarely on his shoulders.

His eyes went to the clock ticking loudly on the wall. The convoy had been gone for nearly two hours. Why hadn't he heard any news yet? He had sent his latest second-in-command, Lieutenant Braun, and a convoy of decoy trucks to try to capture the enemy. Had that elusive team of combined American and British soldiers managed to destroy his entire convoy? Had the convoy missed them altogether? He shook his head at that thought, it was highly unlikely. The Rat Patrol had proven over and over again that they had a knack for locating his trucks. Perhaps they were in the area for another reason. That thought brought him up short. What other reason would bring them to his sector at this particular time? No, they had to be after the convoy; so why hadn't they hit the decoy yet? What were they waiting for? Did they know? Maybe he should have commanded the decoy. Perhaps Troy and his men had realized that something was wrong because he wasn't heading the important convoy himself. They would know how important the supplies were to the German forces.

The captain glanced again at his clock; only five minutes had passed since the last time he looked at it. It felt like an eternity. He hated the waiting, but like any good officer, he knew it was sometimes unavoidable. Waiting was a part of war, necessary at times, harmful at others. He hated not knowing which it was even more than he hated the actual waiting. Would it work? Had he taken enough precautions? Could his men carry out his orders to completion?

There were a lot of new men in the convoy. Many of his more experienced men had been transferred to the commander who was leading the current push against the Allies. He regretted sending new men against the Rat Patrol but he had had little choice. Lieutenant Braun, the convoy commander, had a good head on his shoulders. What he lacked in experience he made up for in intelligence. Dietrich hoped that he would stay calm in battle and use that intelligence to keep his men alive. Troy and his men had flustered more than one good officer. The tactics they used were not the conventional methods most German officers were trained to fight. Dietrich, an amateur history buff, likened them to the tactics of the Native Americans in the early days of the United States. He had always found that period of American history to be particularly interesting. Perhaps that was why he was more successful against the Rat Patrol than most of the Afrika Korp's officers who had the misfortune of drawing their attention.

He looked at the radio sitting silently in the corner of his office. Why wouldn't it crackle to life and relieve him of this tension? Was it broken?

"Corporal, test the radio; I want to make sure it is working."

The radio operator looked up from the code book in front of him in surprise. "It was working when we brought it in here Captain."

Dietrich flushed. "Try it again; perhaps a wire came loose while you were moving it about."

The radio operator nodded and dutifully tested the radio. "It's working just fine Captain." He answered somewhat hesitantly.

The captain sighed. "Very well Corporal, continue to monitor it for any incoming messages. I am going to step outside for some air."

The hot desert sun was beating down on the porch in front of his office but Dietrich hardly noticed; he was too preoccupied with the lack of news from his convoy. An earlier report came to mind. A week earlier a patrol from another base had reported a run-in with the pesky little unit. A gunner on one of the halftracks had reported wounding one of the men in the rear of the fast moving jeeps. The report couldn't be verified because no body had been found. That fact alone did not surprise Dietrich. Even if one of the members had been killed, the others would try to take the body with them. He had seen firsthand how quickly they reacted when one of their team was wounded. According to the report the American's body had fallen into the jeep instead of falling out onto the ground. The others hadn't even had to retrieve it. Dietrich knew that both gunners were sergeants but the report had not been clear as to which one had been hit.

The heat finally registered and the captain decided to return to his office. He was beginning to believe that the report was based on fact rather than optimism. Maybe one of the sergeants had been hit and the Rat Patrol was temporarily out of action. Then he remembered the report on his desk and that brief hope quickly faded. No, they had been spotted in his sector, they were still active. That thought brought him back to his earlier question; why hadn't they attacked his decoy convoy yet? He glanced at the radio again but it remained ominously silent.

When the burst of static crackled in the silent room Dietrich jumped in surprise. He jumped to his feet and was around his desk standing next to the corporal before the radio operator could fine tune the signal.

"Don't use headphones; I want to hear it!" He ordered anxiously.

The corporal nodded and removed the headphones with one hand while he adjusted the dial with the other.

Five minutes later Dietrich had a whole new set of worries. Now he paced his office and waited for the survivors of the attack on the convoy to return. He tried to work on his reports but the figures kept getting jumbled in his head. Reading reports was not any easier; he just couldn't concentrate. Finally he pushed the papers aside and called for his clerk to file them.

The clock on the wall said it was time for lunch. He hadn't even realized he was hungry until he noticed the time. Rising from his desk he decided to eat his lunch with his men rather than have it delivered to his office. The office was feeling entirely too small with everything he had on his mind.

An hour later his stomach was full but he had little recollection of what he had eaten. Talking to his officers had distracted him for a while but they had all gone back to their duties, leaving him alone with his jumbled thoughts and worries. He could have made up some excuse to bring one of them back to his office but it would have been a waste of valuable time. They had things to do and he wouldn't have been able to get any real work done anyway. He watched them walk away chatting among themselves as if this were just another day; and for them it probably was. Getting that convoy through meant a lot to him and the success of his trap was essential.


	2. Chapter 2

**When Honor and Duty Collide**

By:AliasCWN

Chapter 2

Lieutenant Braun stood in the front of his halftrack with field glasses and watched for the enemy. The captain had briefed him extensively about the dangers that could be lurking among the many dunes that dotted the desert around them. New to the desert, the lieutenant found the environment harsh and unforgiving. He disliked having the fine sand covering his body, reaching places he'd rather not mention. The constant need to drink water was another factor he despised. He hated the metallic taste of the water after it was purified and carried in the metal containers for hours on end. He made a mental note to have his men change the water in the cans whenever they got a chance. Perhaps if they changed it more often it would have a better taste. There was no assurance that it would improve the taste but at least he would know that it was fresh.

Thinking back to the captain's cool office, Lieutenant Braun tried to remember everything the captain had told him about the Allied unit known as the Rat Patrol. The two sergeants manned the heavy machine guns in the rear of the jeeps while the two privates were the drivers. Their methods were unorthodox but effective. The captain had made sure to impress upon him the fantastic success rate of the small unit. Lieutenant Braun looked forward to matching wits with the wily enemy. The desert had turned out to be quite boring after having seen combat in the European theatre. He had jumped at the chance to take this convoy out to capture or kill the elusive unit.

He looked behind him at the short line of trucks following his halftrack in single file. The captain had not been willing to risk too many of his trucks for this operation. As he put it, he was going to need them to deliver the supplies if this operation was successful. The lieutenant wanted to make sure that it was a success. He smiled as he imagined the look of surprise on the faces of the enemy when they realized what he was actually transporting. Calling to his driver, the young officer ordered him to slow down; after all, they wanted the enemy to catch them.

The driver, an experienced soldier who had trained under Captain Dietrich, nodded nervously and slowed the vehicle. His eyes darted continuously from one dune to the next as he waited for the small jeeps to come flying over the top of the hill. Having been through an attack by the Rat Patrol, the driver wasn't looking forward to another one. He silently hoped that the enemy didn't find them.

That hope was dashed a short time later when he caught a flash of movement along the road ahead. He yelled a warning just as the enemy gunners opened fire. The bullets hit the windshield of his halftrack and continued in a straight line up and over the top. He heard a grunt in the rear and someone yelled that the gunner was hit. The driver wheeled his heavy vehicle to the side of the road to give the jeeps room to get past. He knew from experience that they would use grenades to try and disable his vehicle but there was no more room to maneuver. Praying that they would pass him by since the gunner was already hit, he plowed on.

The first jeep ignored him as it raced past with its 50 caliber spitting death at the large trucks. He saw the gunner in the second jeep pull his arm back as they approached. Reaching over with one hand the driver pulled Lieutenant Braun down into the seat.

The hand grenade landed in the rear of the halftrack with a deafening boom! The driver increased his speed as he realized that the road opened into the flat desert just ahead. He glanced over to check on the lieutenant but he didn't turn to look into the rear of his vehicle. There weren't even any moans coming from back there. Pushing the pedal to the floor, he sought the open desert.

The truck drivers saw the jeeps coming and yelled a warning. In the back of each truck soldiers waited for the signal to throw the tarp covers aside to engage the enemy. Captain Dietrich had provided heavy machine guns for the last truck but the others were counting on sheer numbers and surprise to defeat the Allies. Knowing the way that the fast little jeeps darted around the trucks, Captain Dietrich had feared that a machine gun in the first truck might result in his men shooting their own comrades by mistake.

The first jeep flew past before the driver gave the signal. Its 50 caliber bullets tore through the canvas covering the back of the truck killing or wounding any man foolish enough to raise his head above the sides of the vehicle. Those who survived jumped to their feet to extract revenge. The gun from the second jeep caught some of them before they could throw the cover aside and acquire a target.

The soldiers in the second truck managed to get their cover half off before bullets began tearing into them. Some of the men managed to kneel low enough to see under the cover and return fire. The jeep was past them before they could do much damage. The soldiers in the third and fourth trucks stayed down until the two fleet little vehicles had passed before they lifted their tarps.

The fourth truck had just passed the last of the dunes and made it into the open desert when the 50's began to rattle again. Attacking from behind the last dune, the two jeeps began another run at the convoy.

The machine gunner in the last truck spotted the red hat of the jeep driver and used it as a focus for his return fire. His shots went a little high but he grinned in satisfaction as he saw the soldier in the back of the jeep grab at his chest and slump forward onto the shoulder of his driver. The driver reached out, pulled the limp form down into the jeep and turned away from the convoy. The German gunner tried again but this time his bullets only tore up the sand next to the racing vehicle. The Americans were out of range before he could get his aim corrected. Just the same, his companions cheered and patted him on the back for his success.

The second jeep was in trouble too. The heavy fire from the trucks was forcing the driver to swerve and duck to avoid being hit. The jeep's gunner kept up a steady fire but it was no longer effective. The driver yelled over his shoulder and the gunner braced as the jeep made a sharp turn away from the convoy.

A shell from the second halftrack landed near the jeep. As the soldiers in the trucks watched and cheered the second jeep went airborne. Both occupants went flying as it landed awkwardly and rolled onto its side. A dust cloud hid the suddenly earthbound forms of the Allies from the Germans as the vehicle slid to a stop.

The driver of the first jeep saw his companions' predicament and spun his own vehicle to go back for them. The German gunners vied for the chance to claim a victory on this one too but none of them managed to hit the racing jeep. A bullet did catch the shoulder of the driver but he stayed on course, ignoring the injury to save his friends.

Sliding to a stop near the overturned jeep the driver with the red hat searched frantically for his teammates. The gunner from the overturned jeep climbed into the other jeep and began to give them cover as the driver continued to look for the other driver. With the jeep stopped the Germans were starting to get the proper range and the bullets were striking close to the small vehicle. The gunner gave a yell of warning and the driver kicked up another cloud of dust as he drove the jeep away from the wreckage.

Lieutenant Braun righted himself in the seat and glared angrily at his driver. Telling him to turn around, he ordered him back to the scene of the battle. The driver immediately turned the heavy vehicle around and headed back. In the distance the officer could see the overturned jeep and even as he watched the other jeep retrieved a survivor. He turned to tell his gun crew to fire on the fleeing jeep and blanched in shock. In all of the confusion it hadn't registered in his mind that the grenade had detonated so close. The crew he wanted to order to fight had all died in the blast. Realizing that the driver's actions had most likely saved his life, he refrained from demanding more speed from their damaged vehicle. Standing in the seat once more he gripped the frame of the windshield tightly to hide the shaking of his hands.


	3. Chapter 3

**When Honor and Duty Collide**

BY:AliasCWN

Chapter 3

Tully heard the whine of the shell before it hit. He tried desperately to avoid it but to no avail. The shell hit in front of his jeep, throwing it into the air and sending him flying. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Moffitt sailing through the air too. Tully lost sight of the sergeant as he fell head over heels and landed with a heavy thud behind the overturned jeep. Dirt and rock rained down on him as he covered his head with his hands. He tried to roll away but a rock flew through the dust and caught him a glancing blow to the side of his head. His world went dark and silent.

He woke up with a pounding in his head that felt like giants were beating on it with sledge hammers. He gingery raised his hand to touch his head and heard the shuffling of feet all around him. Opening his eyes slowly, he kept his hands in plain sight. The circle of soldiers around him watched him cautiously. For some reason Tully suddenly had a vision of an opossum that his brothers had once trapped in their barn back home. All of the younger kids had been gathered around staring at it when he walked in. He remembered how the animal had looked back at them unblinking, but when he arrived, it played dead. He wondered if the animal had had the right idea.

Before Tully could make up his mind the circle parted and a German lieutenant stood in front of him. Tully again felt like the opossum in the barn.

The lieutenant eyed him with interest.

Tully decided he didn't want to be an opossum. Moving slowly, he rose and dusted himself off. The circle of soldiers stepped back as he got to his feet. Many of them raised their weapons to point at him. He swayed a bit before regaining his balance as the world spun around his head. His hand went unconsciously to the side of his head. His fingers came away sticky with blood from the wound. Tully saw the officer stare at his fingers for a minute before looking back at his face. Just when he had decided that the officer was going to ignore the wound the lieutenant surprised him by calling for a medic.

Before the medic was allowed to look at the injury the lieutenant had Tully searched and bound. Only after Tully was securely tied and guarded by no less than three soldiers was the medic allowed to approach and look at the wound. His head was cleaned and bandaged as the lieutenant stood stiffly by and watched.

Tully tried to look around while the medic was taking care of his head. He could see the overturned jeep. He remembered seeing Moffitt flying through the air. He hid a grin as he realized that there was no sign of the sergeant and the Germans didn't seem to be looking for him. He decided that Hitch must have picked him up. There was no sign of the other jeep either, so he opted to believe that they had all gotten away.

So far the German officer had not spoken to him at all. One of his men came running up to him and whispered something in his ear. The officer looked toward Tully and nodded. After the soldier left the officer indicated that Tully should be seated. Still feeling a bit dizzy, Tully obeyed.

As he waited to see what would happen next he kept his mind off of his friends by watching the enemy soldiers. The bodies were removed from the first halftrack and lined up on the ground. Coupled with the head injury, the sight of the mangled bodies nearly turned his stomach. The hand grenade had made a mess of the bodies. More dead were pulled from the trucks, forming a long line in the sand.

Tully watched as the wounded were helped to sit in the shade of the trucks. The medic went to work on them and left Tully alone with his guards and the lieutenant.

It wasn't long before the activity slowed and the trucks were ready to be reloaded. The dead were placed in the bullet riddled truck that had been first in line. The wounded were made as comfortable as possible in the second truck. The unwounded soldiers climbed in to the last two trucks. Tully waited to see what they planned to do with him. He wasn't worried that they planned to shoot him; they wouldn't have bandaged his head if that was what they had in mind.

The trucks lined up; able bodied men in the first truck, wounded in the second, another one carrying the able bodied and the dead brought up the rear. The undamaged halftrack lined up behind the trucks. The damaged one again pulled up in front to lead. Since the gun mounted in the rear was damaged the crew was not replaced. Tully and his guards had not moved as the lieutenant watched the preparations. Tully wondered what they were waiting on.

The young officer looked at his watch and called to one of his sergeants. The noncom hurried over to answer the call. He nodded several times as the officer spoke rapidly before hurrying off. A few minutes later he returned with a young private.

Tully tried to hide his reaction as he recognized the young man. The lieutenant was watching the soldiers and didn't notice Tully's reaction. Turning toward the prisoner the officer spoke to the young soldier.

"He wants to know your name." Karl Litzman translated for the officer.

"Private Tully Pettigrew." Tully answered.

The officer nodded and spoke to Karl again.

"He wants to know where the others went."

"What others?" Tully asked with a shrug.

"He will not be happy if I give him that answer." Karl warned with a frown.

"Sorry buddy, that's the only answer he's going to get."

Karl didn't look happy but he translated the response.

As predicted the officer appeared angry at the answer.

"He says you must answer his questions."

"Can't." Tully answered. "I can give him my name, rank, and service number."

Karl looked worried as he translated Tully's answer.

The lieutenant gave Tully another angry glare before turning to Karl.

"You are to get into the back of the first halftrack." Karl translated with a sigh.

Tully smiled and started walking toward the halftrack. One of the guards climbed in first before allowing Tully to get in. The other two guards followed with Karl climbing in last. The lieutenant went to the front of the halftrack and reached for his radio. Tully heard Captain Dietrich's name mentioned.

"What's he doing?" Tully asked Karl.

"He's reporting to Captain Dietrich." Karl answered.

"I guess the captain will be happy that he caught me." Tully drawled.

"I suppose." Karl answered. "But this trap was meant to capture all of you."

"One out of four isn't so bad." Tully grinned.

"Two." Karl answered sadly.

"Two? Who else did you catch? Where are they?" Tully looked around but he didn't see any of the others.

"Not capture." Karl explained as he watched the lieutenant. "The lieutenant just told the captain that the gunner in your other jeep was killed. That would be Sergeant Troy would it not? Many of our soldiers saw it. They have all confirmed that they saw him take several bullets to the chest. He was motionless in the jeep while Sergeant Moffitt was picked up."

"You're sure that it was the gunner who was killed?"

"Yes." Karl answered sadly. "The soldiers are quite certain. And Hitch, Private Hitchcock was wounded."

Tully dropped to the floor of the halftrack and tried not to be sick. One dead and one wounded. He wondered how badly Hitch had been hurt. From the sympathy in Karl's tone he didn't doubt the validity of the report.


	4. Chapter 4

**When Honor and Duty Collide**

By:AliasCWN

Chapter 4

Hitch saw the other jeep flip and he immediately swung his jeep around. He spotted Moffitt getting to his feet but in all of the dust he couldn't see Tully. A bullet hit his shoulder making him lose his grip on the wheel for just a moment. Ignoring it, he concentrated on reaching the other jeep.

Sliding to a stop next to the overturned jeep he felt his jeep shift as Moffitt climbed into the back. The 50 started to rattle as he looked around for Tully. The bullets from the German trucks were getting nearer as he desperately searched for his best friend. The bullet wound in his shoulder began to throb and he could feel the warm blood soaking his sleeve. He spotted a dust covered mound and was trying to determine if it was Tully when Moffitt yelled that they had to go. Reluctantly, but without any hesitation, Hitch turned the jeep and drove away.

The body in the seat beside him took another bullet and Hitch flinched at the sound. Pushing harder on the pedal he did his best to outrun the bullets chasing them.

After a few minutes Moffitt leaned down and tapped him on the shoulder. Hitch glanced back and the sergeant pointed toward some trees in the distance. Hitch nodded and headed that way.

The trees were scraggly but they did break up the outline of the jeep. Hitch drove into them until he almost came out the other side. He sighed heavily as the jeep stopped moving and he let his body sag in the seat.

"Are you all right Hitch?" Moffitt was out of the back and standing beside the jeep before Hitch could answer.

"I'm better that Patterson." Hitch answered with a glance at the body in the seat next to him.

Moffitt looked at the limp form and noted the stillness that accompanied death. "There is nothing I can do for him right now, let me take a look at that shoulder."

Hitch nodded and twisted to get out of the jeep. He paused as a wave of dizziness overcame him. Closing his eyes, he waited for it to pass.

"Wait, let me help you." Moffitt urged. He hurried around the jeep to grasp Hitch by the good arm.

"Did you see Tully?"

"No." Moffitt answered curtly.

"Do you think he's still alive?"

Moffitt smiled. "Tully's tough. It will take more than a spill from a jeep to take him out."

"It was a trap."

"No doubt." Moffitt answered as he helped Hitch to sit on the ground.

"And we fell for it."

Moffitt shrugged. "Those are the chances we take."

"So what now?"

Moffitt went to the jeep and dug out the medical kit. "Now I am going to clean and dress this wound and you can rest while I bury Corporal Patterson."

"But we're going back?"

"We're going back." Moffitt agreed. "Unless your shoulder is too badly injured to continue."

"It's not." Hitch assured him with a grim face.

Moffitt smiled and nodded without speaking.

Hitch was sitting on the hood of his jeep keeping watch as Moffitt finished burying the corporal. "That could have been Sarge."

"But it wasn't." Moffitt answered as he tucked a set of dog tags between the seats.

"Maybe it was a good thing for Sarge that he got hit last week."

"Not so good for the corporal." Moffitt replied dryly.

"Yeah." Hitch looked toward the new grave. "Not so good for the corporal."

"How are you feeling?"

Hitch looked over at Moffitt. "Ready to go back."

"Not so fast." Moffitt answered. "That was definitely a trap back there. Dietrich knows how we work. We can't just go rushing back in or he'll have another trap set for us that might be more successful."

"One dead, one captured, I'd call that pretty successful already." Hitch answered.

"Don't forget, one wounded; you're going to be limited on how much you can use that arm."

"I can use it Doc, just get me close so I can help Tully."

"I think the first thing we need to do is make sure that they have Tully." The Brit answered.

"You think he got away?" Hitch asked hopefully.

"No." Moffitt admitted. "But I think we need to be sure before we risk everything to save him."

"How are we going to do that without going in?"

"I believe that that convoy was sent out to lure us in and capture or kill us."

Hitch nodded his agreement.

"So it stands to reason that if they did capture Tully they would take him straight back to their base."

Hitch nodded again.

"I don't believe we have a chance against that convoy but that doesn't mean that we can't beat them back to their base and spy on them as they return. We won't be able to stop them from entering the base but we may get lucky and spot Tully as they pass."

"What if he's in the back of one of those trucks?"

"We'll pick a spot where we can watch the base too. If they unload any prisoners we should be able to see them."

Hitch flashed Moffitt a smile. "What are we waiting for? Let's go."

"You're the driver." Moffitt answered with a smile of his own. "This jeep doesn't move without you."

Hitch slid off the hood and climbed into his seat. He had the motor running before Moffitt was seated.

Despite being in a hurry Hitch was careful to keep their last remaining jeep out of sight. After the trap they had blundered into he wasn't about to take any unnecessary chances. The halftracks and trucks were slower than the jeeps and even with the delay to bury their dead replacement Hitch didn't expect any trouble beating the convoy back to the base. Moffitt stayed behind the 50 just in case the Germans had any more surprises for them.

"There it is Doc." Hitch pointed ahead to where Dietrich's base was located.

"We need to find a place high enough to see over the walls."

"Know just the place." Hitch answered around his gum. "We used it before. It will let us watch the road too." He popped a bubble to make his point.

"I know where you mean and that should do perfectly." The Brit responded.

"We beat them here Doc."

"How do you know?"

"I've been watching the road every time we got near it. I haven't seen any fresh tracks. Those halftracks tear up the road even where it's packed. All the tracks I saw were hours old."

"Hopefully we're right about where they are taking him."

"We're right Doc. Dietrich will want Tully where he can keep an eye on him. He'll probably try to set a trap to catch us when we come for him."

"Speaking of keeping an eye on him, let me take another look at that shoulder. I'm going to need you in working order if we are going to pull this off."

"It's okay Doc, you did a good job earlier."

"Just the same, we have time, and nothing better to do."

Hitch sat still and let the sergeant examine his shoulder.

"Do you feel faint?"

"No, I'm okay Doc; I'm ready anytime you need me."

"I have a feeling that Dietrich will be expecting us tonight but I don't want to chance it in the daylight." Moffitt sounded unsure of himself.

"Maybe we should let him see us. Make sure he knows we're out here."

"I hardly feel as though that would benefit Tully, or us." The sergeant replied.

"Maybe not, but then again, it might." Hitch answered thoughtfully.

"Just what did you have in mind?"

"I was thinking Doc; they're going to be watching for us." Hitch waited for Moffitt to agree.

"I think so."

"So what if you went in after Tully alone?"

"Is your shoulder bothering you?"

"No, I was thinking I could let them see me, and while they're watching me, you could sneak in and rescue Tully."

Moffitt shrugged. "It might work, but they will be expecting two of us. They probably know that Corporal Patterson is dead."

"Maybe we could draft a volunteer to ride with me so that it looks like we're both out here."

"And where did you want to look for this volunteer?"

"The Germans go to town when they get passes. We could snatch one of them and dress him up as you."

The sergeant thought about the plan for a few minutes while Hitch watched the road. He dug out their map and began to formulate a plan. He had one nearly worked out when Hitch hissed his name.

"Are they coming?" He asked as he dropped to his stomach next to the private.

"Yeah, just around the bend."

"Did you see Tully?"

"Not yet, the sun was in my eyes. I figure we'll get a good view when they pass us."

Moffitt shielded the binoculars so the sun wouldn't reflect and give them away. He waited anxiously as the fake convoy drew closer. "There he is!" He informed Hitch with a sense of relief. "In the back of the first halftrack."

"Is he all right?"

Moffitt looked closer. "He has a bandage around his head but he's standing in the moving vehicle."

"They aren't holding him up?"

"No, he's standing on his own." Moffitt could hear Hitch sigh in relief.

"Now all we have to do is get him back." The private stated as if that were an easy thing to accomplish.

Moffitt laughed at the other's assessment of the task ahead of them. Hitch made it sound so simple. If Moffitt knew anything about Dietrich, it was that the German was not going to make it easy for them. He would be expecting them and he would be waiting for a chance to capture them too.


	5. Chapter 5

**Where Honor and Duty Collide**

By:AliasCWN

Chapter 5

"Tell me what happened."

Lieutenant Braun stood in front of his commanding officer to give his report. "They attacked us just as you expected." The lieutenant began. "I myself missed most of the battle because one of them threw a hand grenade in to the back of my halftrack. My entire gun crew was killed instantly. I think the only reason I survived is because my driver pulled me down when he saw the grenade. By the time we could return to the fight the battle was over. It all happened very fast."

"But how did you managed to capture your prisoner?"

"The other halftrack managed to land a shell in front of the jeep and flip it into the air. Both of the Americans were thrown clear. The other one was rescued by the other jeep but this one was knocked unconscious and wasn't able to escape."

"So his sergeant escaped?"

"Yes sir, unfortunately. He manned the heavy machine gun on the other jeep while the driver got them clear. The other driver was injured but I don't think the wound was serious."

"He manned the gun?" Dietrich frowned in thought. "Where was the other sergeant?"

"Dead Captain." The lieutenant announced proudly. "The sergeant in the first jeep was killed when we revealed our machine gun."

"Killed? Which sergeant was killed?"

Lieutenant Braun shrugged his shoulders. "All we know is that he was in the other jeep."

"This one you caught, his sergeant got away?"

"Yes sir."

"And did you get his name?"

The lieutenant checked his notes. "A private named Pettigrew Sir."

"Where is he now?"

"I had him sent to the cells."

"I wish to talk to him." Dietrich declared. "Shall we?"

The lieutenant nodded and waited for the captain to lead the way. The junior officer followed as the captain hurried toward the cells. The captain tried to force himself to walk more slowly but it was hard. All he could think about was the report the lieutenant had just given him. One sergeant dead. Which one? Dietrich was pretty sure he knew the answer but he wasn't completely sure what it meant for him or his men. He knew how loyal the men of the Rat Patrol were to each other. Would they seek revenge? They never had before but then their leader had never been killed before either. Troy was not only their leader, but their friend as well, and quite possibly the anchor for the group. Would the others go wild with his loss?

The prisoner was resting in his cell when Dietrich and the lieutenant arrived. He turned his head as the officers stopped in front of his cell.

"Afternoon Captain." Tully drawled as he got to this feet. "I guess they told you about me huh?"

"Where is your sergeant?"

Tully frowned at the officer. "You know better than that." He shook his head slowly. "I don't know who you're talking about." He added without his usual grin.

"I'm not playing this game Private. Lieutenant Braun tells me that one of your sergeants was killed."

"You don't say? Which one?" Tully tried to appear unconcerned.

"That's what I'd like to know." Dietrich growled.

"Can't help you." Tully shook his head stubbornly and winced at the movement.

"All I am asking for is a name."

"Pettigrew, Tully."

Dietrich closed his eyes and counted to ten. "My men confirmed that Sergeant Troy was killed. Private Hitchcock was wounded. Sergeant Moffitt got away."

"If you say so Captain."

The captain eyed the prisoner suspiciously.

"I can't deny or confirm any of it Captain, I was sleeping." Tully answered somberly. "But I guess if your men confirmed it then it must be true."

"Sleeping?"

"Knocked out." Tully clarified. "Didn't wake up until it was all over."

"Where would the others take the sergeant's body?"

"Home." Tully answered honestly. "He deserves to go home."

Dietrich watched for any tell-tale sign that the prisoner was lying but there was a ring of truth to his answer. The private met him eye to eye and rolled the matchstick in his mouth. He wasn't surprised that they would want to take Troy's body back with them; he would have expected nothing less. "Do you need a doctor?" He finally asked.

"No," Tully answered with a careful shake of his head, "your medic fixed me up just fine."

"What happened?"

Tully rubbed his hand across the bandage. "Rock, I think. Things happened pretty fast and I'm not really sure."

"Al right, but if it starts to bother you I want you to call a guard. He can send for the doctor." Dietrich stared to turn to leave but stopped and turned back to the prisoner. "I'm sorry about Sergeant Troy."

"Thank you Captain, I'm sure that will be a real comfort."

"I am serious Private. The sergeant was a thorn in my side but he was a good soldier and a worthy adversary, a truly honorable man."

"We always thought so." Tully agreed.

"I truly am sorry about his loss. I would have preferred to send him to a POW camp for the duration."

"Sarge wouldn't be happy in one of those camps." Tully told him.

"Perhaps not, but he would be alive."

"Those are the fortunes of war." Tully repeated Dietrich's favorite explanation.

The captain left the cell block with mixed emotions. He liked and respected Troy while at the same time he hated him. It had been a confusing relationship while it had lasted. He knew he would miss the verbal sparring on the occasions when they had met face to face. And he knew he would miss the challenges the team had presented under Troy's leadership. He wondered if Moffitt would take over.

The thought did occur to him that he might be misinformed. Private Pettigrew hadn't appeared to be too upset. He had expected more of a reaction at the news of Troy's death. But then the prisoner hadn't shown much concern for the injuries to his fellow driver either. He hadn't even asked how seriously the other private was hurt.

He tried to recall if the lieutenant had mentioned Private Pettigrew having been told about the others. If he had been unconscious the news should have been a shock to him. On the other hand, if he already knew, he would have had time to adjust and hide his emotions. He pictured the prisoner's calm face in his mind. There had been no noticeable reaction when he was told of the sergeant's death. Dietrich began to suspect that the news hadn't been news at all. He began to think that someone had already informed the private of the loss of his sergeant and the injury to his fellow driver. He returned to his office and replayed the interview over in his head. Every time he replayed it he got the feeling that he had missed something. He called for Lieutenant Braun. He needed to hear the entire story, and this time he wouldn't interrupt.

When the lieutenant had finished telling his story again Dietrich sat back in his chair and processed the information. Karl Litzman had been the interpreter. Pvt. Litzman had ridden back with the prisoner. The lieutenant did recall hearing the two men talking while he was on the radio. It all made sense now; Pvt. Litzman had informed the prisoner about the fate of his friends before arriving back at the base. The lieutenant recalled the prisoner reacting to something that Pvt. Litzman had said to him. According to Lieutenant Braun the prisoner had looked shocked. So he already knew before I told him, Dietrich thought to himself. He had to admit, the prisoner had played it cool, not giving anything away. But this is the quiet one, he reminded himself; the other private would have had a harder time hiding his feelings.

He thought about what the prisoner had told him. They would take Troy's body home, he deserved it. That too fit into what he knew of the men under Troy's command. They respected him too much to do anything else. They would not want the sergeant's body lost under the shifting sands of the desert. Again he found himself admiring his adversaries. He wondered if his own men would give as much care to his body if he were to die in the middle of the desert.

Yet something still nagged at the back of his mind. He couldn't put a finger on it, it was just there. Deciding to put the matter to rest, he decided on one more course of action before he wrote his report. He sent for Pvt. Litzman to come to his office.

Karl entered his commanding officer's office with a hesitant step. He had been summoned into the captain's presence before, but not recently. The Rat Patrol had been involved then too he recalled. The captain had cautioned him not to allow anyone to know that he harbored any feelings of friendship toward the members of the Allied team. As he stood waiting to be called into the captain's inner office he wondered if he had allowed his feelings to show in front of the lieutenant. He had only been trying to offer his condolences to the prisoner and help him adjust to the news.

The door to the captain's office opened and Captain Dietrich himself stood in the doorway. "Come in Private." He turned and led Karl into the office.

Karl entered the office nervously. He looked around, expecting to see the lieutenant there to accuse him, but they were alone.

"I will get right to the point Private." Dietrich said sternly. "Did you speak with the prisoner while he was being transported to the base?"

"I was told to translate for the lieutenant." Karl answered quietly.

"I mean, other than that." The captain explained. "Did you tell him the fate of his friends, the sergeant in particular?"

Karl hung his head. "He asked what the lieutenant was doing. I explained that the lieutenant was reporting to you." Karl looked up. "He wanted to know what he was saying." Karl dropped his eyes and waited for his captain to get angry. To his surprise the officer nodded at the answer as if he had expected it.

"How did he react?"

"He was shocked Captain. He didn't know until I told him. I thought he was going to pass out so I encouraged him to sit."

"Did he say anything? Ask any questions?"

"He asked if we were certain about Sergeant Troy." Karl nodded.

"And you told him yes?"

"Yes sir, the men were quite adamant that it was true."

"All right Private; I know how hard this has been for you. I am giving you a pass; I want you off of this base for a few days." The officer stated sternly.

"Yes sir." Karl answered in surprise. "You are not angry?"

"No Karl, I am not angry, but I do want you off of this base for the next three days."

"Yes sir, thank you sir."

"Dismissed Private. Your leave starts right now. Go!"

"Right now Captain?"

"Right now Private." Dietrich confirmed. He walked with Karl to the door and authorized his three day pass. His aide typed it up while they waited. "Enjoy your leave Private; I'll see you in three days."

Karl hurried to pack a bag and catch a ride to the nearest town.

Dietrich watched him go with a fond smile. In all of the madness of war there were still some bright moments.


	6. Chapter 6

**When Honor and Duty Collide**

By:AliasCWN

Chapter 6

"What do you think Doc?"

"I think you should stay with the jeep while I go in." Moffitt held up his hand as Hitch opened his mouth to argue. "I may need you later and I don't want you overdoing it with that shoulder. Besides, someone might spot the jeep and we are going to need it to get out of here. It would be wise to have someone near it to move it if necessary."

"All right," Hitch agreed reluctantly, "but if I hear gunshots I'm coming in."

"In that case I might make an exception." The Brit smiled. Looking back at the Arab town he began to plan his approach.

"Remember Doc, I'll be right behind that grove of trees."

"I'll remember Hitch."

"You'd better come back Doc."

"I will do my best." Moffitt answered with a smile. "I'll bring our unwilling volunteer and I'll even try to convince him to cooperate."

"If he doesn't just bop him over the head and bring him anyway." Hitch answered grimly.

"I shouldn't be more than half an hour. If I can't find anyone by then we shall have to reconsider our plan. Watch for me."

"I'll be there Doc. Anybody comes around they'd better be ready for me or they won't be going back. I'm not planning on leaving here without you."

The sergeant nodded once and adjusted the Arab robes he wore over his uniform. Standing slightly hunched to hide his height, he began to walk toward the town. In the worn Arab robes he was able to blend easily in with the native population and travel the narrow streets unmolested. It didn't take him long to locate the bar that served the German soldiers. Drunken singing in German echoed through the streets every time someone opened the door to the building. Moffitt was watching the street for a solitary drunk to wonder his way when he noticed a young soldier walking down the street. The youthful soldier looked familiar so Moffitt waited for him to get closer. "Perfect." He smiled as he stepped out to confront the youth.

Hitch spotted Moffitt as soon as he left the outskirts of the town. The young German with him seemed to be following along willingly. Hitch wondered what promises the sergeant had made to get the soldier to trust him and follow him out of the relative safety of the town. Hitch ducked and prepared to stop any outcries when the young soldier realized that he had been tricked.

"Hitch!"

"Here Doc." He was ready to hit the young soldier when the youth turned toward the sound of his voice. He had his arm raised to strike a blow when he recognized the face looking back at him. "Karl?"

"Hitch." The young German answered in an uncertain squeak.

Hitch dropped his arm, looking embarrassed. "Sorry about that, I thought you were someone else."

"Who?"

"Anyone." Hitch mumbled with a shrug. "We don't have a lot of friends around here."

Karl nodded thoughtfully as he watched Hitch warily. "Sergeant Moffitt said that you needed my help." As Hitch nodded he started to relax. "I will do what I can to help Tully."

"Even go against Captain Dietrich?" Hitch asked.

"Yes." Karl nodded. "I could not help you before. Even my captain could do nothing to help then, but he said he would have tried if there had been anything he could do. If he would have helped you then then there is no reason to think he would condemn me for helping you now."

"Yeah I'll bet." Hitch answered.

"Are you all right? I was told that you were wounded." Karl noticed the dried blood on the shoulder of Hitch's shirt.

"I'll be okay." Hitch shrugged it off. "I'll be better once we get Tully free."

"The captain is expecting you I think." Karl warned.

"We know." Moffitt answered. "That's why we need you."

"What can I do?"

The two Allies explained their plan to the young German. "Remember," Hitch cautioned, "if we get caught you have to say that you were forced to do this."

"I understand." Karl nodded. "If you get caught it will be up to me to rescue you."

"No." Moffitt argued.. "If we get caught you don't even know us. Stay far away from us."

"But why? If you all get caught who will help you escape?"

"We'll be on our own." The Brit explained as Hitch nodded.

"This makes us even Karl. You can't risk your life if this goes wrong." Hitch stressed.

"But you saved my captain and my friends."

"Then that is their debt to pay." Moffitt told him.

"I understand." Karl nodded. "The captain explained to me about honor and duty."

"Yeah, they don't always go together." Hitch replied.

"But mostly they do." Karl argued.

"They do in your captain but not in every officer." Moffitt added.

"Were you there when they brought Tully in?" Hitch asked to change the subject. He knew the answer; he had seen Karl standing next to Tully in the halftrack.

"Yes." Karl answered. "I was with the convoy. The lieutenant asked me to translate for him. I was able to talk to Tully."

"Is he all right? We saw the bandage on his head." Hitch asked.

"A bump, no more." Karl explained. "But perhaps he is not thinking clearly."

"Why is that?" Moffitt asked with concern.

"When I told him that Sergeant Troy was killed he looked sick. But when I told him about you he was quiet. He did not even ask if I knew how badly you had been hurt." Karl looked confused. "I thought that you were friends yet he did not seem concerned about your health."

"We are friends." Hitch confirmed as he glanced over at Moffitt. "I guess the news about Troy shook him up."

"I am sorry about Sergeant Troy."

"Thanks Karl." Hitch answered simply.

"We have to go if we are going to help Tully." Moffitt urged.

"You did not come to destroy the convoy did you?" Karl asked as they drove back toward the German base.

"Why?" Moffitt asked. "Is it important to you?"

"You aren't going to be on it are you?" Hitch asked at the same time.

"No, but it is important to my captain." Karl answered. "And I don't think I will be on it but I cannot be sure." He added for Hitch. "I overheard the captain's clerk say that if this convoy is destroyed while under the captain's care my captain will be transferred to the Russian front. That is why the captain set the trap for you. He does not want to go to the Russian front."

"I hear its cold up there." Hitch remarked.

Karl nodded. "But if the captain goes, I will ask to go with him." The young soldier declared.

"Maybe that won't be necessary." Moffitt suggested. "If you help us we will try to work something out so that your captain isn't sent away."

"I don't know what you can do if you have been sent to destroy the convoy." Karl answered sadly. "I know you are only following orders, and I don't blame you, but I fear for my captain."

"Help us get Tully back and then we will work on your problem." The sergeant promised.

"Tell me again what I must do." Karl answered. "I want to help."

"Are we sure we want to involve Karl?" Hitch asked as they waited for Karl to get into his disguise.

"Our chances are much better with a volunteer than with an unwilling participant." Moffitt reminded him.

"Yeah, but Karl?"

"Who would you suggest I ask?" The sergeant smiled as a thought occurred to him. "Do you think the good captain would be willing to help?"

"No." Hitch grunted. "He tried to kill us again."

"But only in battle."

"Yeah, I know, but I doubt he's going to be inclined to release Tully even if we ask nicely."

"Then Karl is our best chance. You just make sure you don't get caught. Karl has a three day leave; once we get Tully back we'll return Karl to where we found him and hopefully no one will even know he was missing."

Hitch glanced over at Karl who was just adjusting the unfamiliar uniform. "I hope so Doc, I want Tully back but I feel guilty involving Karl."

"Karl volunteered. I gave him a choice."

"Okay, I'll take him, but I'm going to do my best to keep him safe."

"I expected nothing less." Moffitt agreed with a smile. He turned to face the approaching German. "Karl, perhaps it would be best if you rode in the front." Moffitt suggested. "And just in case, I want to bind your hands."

"Tie me, why?"

"Just as a precaution." The sergeant explained.

"But I said I would help."

"Yes I know, but this is just in case you are seen riding in our jeep. If anyone recognizes you you can claim you were taken prisoner. While we need and appreciate your help in this matter we don't want to put you at any more risk than is absolutely necessary. We want you to be able to return to your duties, not end up in a cell, or worse."

"I understand, you may tie me." Karl looked over at Hitch with a question in his eyes. "We are friends, no?"

Hitch shrugged. "Not exactly Karl. Right now it's complicated, but maybe after the war we can be real friends. Right now we both have other obligations that make a friendship difficult."

"Difficult, but not impossible." Karl insisted. "I know we must still fight each other, but at times like these, we are friends." He told them confidently. "My captain would understand."

"Your captain must never know you helped us Karl." Moffitt insisted. "He likes you but he has his duty. He may not be able to protect you if anyone were to find out. You put him at risk by putting him in that situation." The sergeant explained.

"I understand, it is like before, we could not help you because of our duty."

"Yes. Like that." Moffitt nodded.

"We were very glad that you escaped." The young German admitted.

"So were we." Hitch answered with a smile.


	7. Chapter 7

**When Honor and Duty Collide**

By:AliasCWN

Chapter 7

"Will he be long?"

Hitch looked over at Karl who was dressed in some of Moffitt's spare clothes. "He said to give him half an hour; we won't go before then. Those tips you gave him on which route to take should help. Thanks."

"Do you think he will be able to get Tully out?"

"Yeah, Doc will do it."

"Will he kill the guard?"

Hitch lowered his binoculars and turned to Karl. "Doc won't kill anyone unless he has to to free Tully. We usually just knock them out and leave them locked in the cells."

"Good." Karl nodded.

"Do you know the guard?"

"No." Karl shook his head. "But he is German."

Hitch nodded at the young German. "This is hard for you. I'm sorry."

Karl shrugged. "I made my choice, but no, it is not easy. My country or my new friends, how do you choose?"

"You made the choice, how did you decide what you were going to do?" Hitch asked curiously.

"I chose what I thought was the honorable thing to do." Karl answered with a shrug. "Captain Dietrich says that sometimes we must stand up for what we believe is right. I do not believe that Tully should be in that cell." Karl hesitated. "I just hope that my choice does not condemn my captain to the Russian front."

"Doc said we would work something out; trust him Karl."

"But did he say it as an enemy trying to get my cooperation or as a friend who will truly try to help?"

"Doc gave his word Karl; he'll do his best to keep it."

The two young soldiers fell silent as they waited for the allotted half hour to expire.

"That's it." Hitch finally announced after looking at his watch.

Karl swallowed nervously and nodded. "I am ready."

"Relax, all you have to do is hang onto the 50 and look British." Hitch encouraged.

Karl adjusted Moffitt's beret at a jaunty angle on his head and grinned. "Like this?"

"Like that." Hitch laughed.

Hitch angled his binoculars so that the sun flashed off of the lenses. He saw one of the guards on the wall stiffen and stop to stare when he spotted it. "Are you ready Karl?"

"Ready."

"Okay, remember, you don't have to actually fire the 50. We want them to see us and give chase but I don't plan on letting them get close enough to hit us."

"I will do my best."

The rattle of several German engines sounded from the direction of the base. Hitch waited until the three patrol cars were about halfway to their position before he stood up. Showing himself for just a moment, he waited for Karl to stand before running for the jeep.

They raced away from the base with all three patrol cars giving chase. Karl clung to the handles of the 50 and tried to stay upright like he had seen the sergeants do when they encountered the German convoys.

"Don't look back." Hitch yelled over his shoulder. "We don't want any of them to recognize you."

Karl nodded wordlessly, the bouncing of the jeep requiring too much of his concentration to carry on a conversation.

Hitch led the three patrol cars further into the desert, staying out of range of their weapons but letting them think that they had a chance of catching him. Twice they tried to cut him off by splitting up and coming at him from different directions but he managed to avoid their clumsy attempts easily.

"They are giving up." Karl called from the rear of the jeep.

"It's too soon." Hitch called over his shoulder. "Doc hasn't had enough time to get Tully clear yet."

"Take us back." Karl shouted. "I will shoot in their direction and perhaps they will resume the chase."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I won't aim to hit them but perhaps I can make them angry enough to chase us some more."

Hitch turned the jeep around and started after the patrol cars. In the back Karl cleared the chamber of the 50. Making sure that he stayed out of range, Hitch yelled over his shoulder to Karl. "Shoot in front or behind them; less chance of hitting them by accident if we hit a bump."

"Is that how you do it?" Karl yelled back.

"Heck no." Hitch answered. "We usually want to hit them."

Karl smiled at the admission and tightened his grip on the handles of the machine gun. When he opened fire the bullets tore into the sand behind the third patrol car. The soldiers in the car ducked behind the seat backs and returned fire with their rifles. The jeep was far enough away that Hitch wasn't worried about being hit but he was worried that the soldiers might recognize Karl.

The first two cars turned as Karl fired at their companions. Trying to catch the jeep between them they closed in on the American vehicle.

"Time to go." Hitch yelled as he spun the wheel. Karl clung desperately to the gun's handles as he tried to keep from falling out of the fast moving vehicle. Despite his best efforts he fell to the floor of the jeep.

"Stay down!" Hitch yelled when he noticed that Karl had fallen.

The soldiers in the patrol cars cheered as they saw him fall, thinking they had scored a hit. Karl, whose head was only inches from Hitch's ear, yipped as the jeep took another fast turn. The small vehicle tipped up on two wheels and slid a few inches before it righted itself and surged forward.

Hitch grinned. "Fun isn't it?"

"Fun?" Karl gasped. "You are crazy!"

"Yeah, it's not like we haven't heard that before." The blonde called over his shoulder.

Putting more distance between the jeep and the three patrol cars Hitch concentrated on staying out of range of their weapons. Angry, the German drivers didn't give up a easily the second time around. Hitch and Karl led them on a merry chase across the sandy terrain for the next three quarters of an hour. Finally the patrol cars began to drop back; Hitch and Karl let them go. As the patrol cars turned back toward the base Karl righted himself in the rear of the jeep.

"Are you all right?" Hitch stopped the jeep and allowed Karl to climb into the passenger seat.

"Yes." Karl answered in a shaky voice. "Is it always like that?"

"No." Hitch grinned. "Sometimes they get within range and then you have to duck bullets too."

"You really are crazy." The young German asserted with a shaky smile.

"Maybe, but hopefully it worked. Doc should have had time to get Tully out. We'd better get back and pick them up before the base misses him and goes looking for them."

"Will they steal a car if we are late?"

"Not unless they don't have any other choice." Hitch explained. "Doc won't want to attract any more attention than necessary until we meet up again. He's going to try to sneak out the same way he went in."

"Then we should hurry in case they are discovered."

"Doc knows enough to cover his tracks as soon as he leaves the base. We'll circle around to the spot where we dropped him off and wait for them there."

Karl nodded his agreement but he couldn't hide his increased nervousness as they neared the base.

"Relax, they'll be there." Hitch assured him.

Karl nodded but his eyes were focused straight ahead right up until they entered the wadi and Moffitt and Tully walked out to meet them. Hitch heard Karl sigh and looked over to see the young German smiling broadly.

"We need to go." Moffitt said as soon as the jeep rolled to a stop beside him. He jumped into the back and Tully squeezed in beside him.

"Are they looking for us?" Karl asked as he strained to hear any alarms from the base.

"No, but those guards I hit will be waking up soon and yelling to be let out of the cells. Once they're discovered the search will be on. Hitch, let's get Karl back to where we picked him up so he's not missed."

The blonde nodded a greeting to Tully and shifted in his seat. The jeep took off as he hit the gas, throwing all three of his passengers off balance.

"Hitch?"

"Sorry Doc, I thought I'd give Karl one last thrill before we dropped him off."

"Thrill?" Tully asked.

"Yeah, he loves riding in this jeep." Hitch called over his shoulder with a big grin.

Tully glanced at Karl, who looked a bit green, and laughed. "Hey Karl, thanks for your help getting me out."

"I was proud to help." The young German responded. He tried to turn to look back at Tully without releasing his grip on the dash of the bouncing jeep.

"You didn't have to do it you know."

"I know." Karl answered as the jeep settled into a slower pace. "I wanted to help my friends."

Tully nodded thoughtfully and turned his attention to watching their surroundings. Soon they were on the edge of the village where the Germans spent their leave. Hitch found another place to hide while Karl changed back into his own uniform.

"Sergeant Moffitt?"

"Yes Karl?"

"Are you still going to destroy the convoy?"

"Those are our orders."

Karl nodded sadly. "Then this is good-bye. When the captain is transferred I am going to ask to go with him."

"I promised we would work something out Karl." Moffitt reminded him gently. "I was just discussing that with Hitch and Tully. With a little help from you I think we have a plan."

"Do I need to change back?"

"No." Moffitt smiled. "We just need a little information. Just tell us, if the convoy is destroyed after it leaves the captain's base will the captain still be held responsible?"

"Yes." Karl answered. "He is responsible for it until it reaches the next base. If anything happens to it before then he will be transferred."

"What if something were to happen to it while it was on the next base?"

"Once the next commander signs for it it will no longer be my captain's responsibility. But if it is too soon after they might still try to blame my captain." Karl turned worried eyes to his Allied friends.

"All right Karl; we will do our best to shift the blame to someone else. Just remember, you have been here this entire time, and you will have to be surprised when you hear of Tully's escape." The Brit warned. "Even Captain Dietrich must not suspect a thing; try to build an alibi for today."

"I understand. Good luck my friends."

"Good luck Karl." Moffitt smiled. "Keep your head down whenever the bullets start flying."

"You as well."

Moffitt waited by the jeep as the younger rats said their farewells. They all watched until the young German disappeared into the outskirts of the town.


	8. Chapter 8

**When Honor and Duty Collide**

By:AliasCWN

Chapter 8

"So how are we going to get that convoy without Dietrich getting the blame?" Hitch asked. He popped a bubble and began to build a new one as he waited for an answer.

"Do you have any timers with you?"

"Yeah, some." Hitch answered.

"Enough to put one in each truck?"

"Maybe Doc. We can disregard the medical supplies and the rations but that still leaves about nine trucks according to my calculations. That's a lot of timers."

"Do we have them?"

"Yeah Doc, we have them but how do you plan to get timers in every truck?"

"I thought we could sneak in, split up, and set timers in each truck and get out. We can set them to blow up after they reach the next base."

"What if they have a breakdown?" Tully asked. "You know the krauts aren't very good mechanics. Their vehicles are always breaking down."

"That's not the only problem." Hitch added. "Once that convoy leaves Dietrich's base it will take it three days to reach the next one. That's three days where the timers could be discovered. They make a ticking sound that is going to be easy to hear on a quiet night. Besides, we aren't carrying any that can be set that far ahead.

"Maybe we could hit the convoy as it enters the other base." Tully suggested.

"That's no good." Moffitt shook his head. "Until the next commander signs off on the supplies Dietrich is still responsible."

"Then we go in after it reaches the next base." Tully shrugged.

"No good." Moffitt repeated. "It will be heavily guarded until it is loaded on the plane for the next leg of the journey."

"If they were going to fly it out why didn't they fly it the whole way?"

"We have been having quite a bit of success in shooting their planes down over the ocean. Ships and trucks are the only things getting through right now so they are using them more and more." The sergeant explained.

"So they ship it in, truck it this far and fly it the rest of the way?" Tully summed it up for all of them.

"Exactly." Moffitt nodded. "Their planes are getting through here because most of our air power is concentrated along the coast."

"So why not blow up the plane?" Hitch asked.

"We won't be able to get near it." The sergeant replied. "It will fly in, land under heavy guard, and fly out again as soon as the last crate is loaded."

Hitch rubbed a hand across his face and the sandpaper-like sound was the only thing that broke the stillness.

"There has to be a way Doc." Tully stated flatly.

"There is, we'll use the timers. Maybe we can sneak them into the crates while the convoy is camped for the night just before they reach the next base." Moffitt looked at Hitch for confirmation. "We can set them that far ahead can't we?"

"Yeah we could, if we can get to the trucks, set the timers in all nine trucks, and get out without getting caught. We'd still have to worry about someone hearing them when they unload the trucks at the base." Hitch answered slowly.

"Do you have a better idea?"

"I just might." The younger rat replied. "We have what, two, three days before headquarters says the convoy is going to leave Dietrich's base for the next stop?"

"Approximately that." Moffitt confirmed. "What do you have in mind?"

"Do you remember those experimental shells I was helping to transport when the Germans wiped out almost the entire convoy?"

"How could we forget?" The Brit snorted. "We almost lost you and those shells."

"Yeah I know." Hitch answered with a grimace. "At least you managed to keep the Germans from getting them."

"That was more Corporal Meeker than us, but go on."

"I helped work on those shells and I know for a fact that they are still experimenting with them. What if we could get our hands on a couple? They don't tick to give away their presence and they aren't on a timer. We would only need one or two and we could put them in the crates at any time but they wouldn't explode until the plane reached the right altitude. All we'd have to do was set them high enough that they wouldn't explode until the plane was in the air. Let it get away from the base and no one would even know why it went down."

"Do you think we could get a couple?"

"You talk to Captain Boggs and I can talk to the guys working on them. We can call it an experiment." Hitch grinned.

"If they don't explode the Germans will have the shells." Tully warned.

"Yes, but we know they do explode." Moffitt reminded him. He waited but neither private had anything more to add to the plan. "All right, I'll talk to Captain Boggs. We can place them in the crates at any time between now and when they are loaded on the planes. That gives us much more leeway about when to move in."

"We aren't going to involve Karl are we?" Tully asked.

"Not this time." Moffitt replied. "Dietrich might forgive him if he found out that he helped you escape but he would be duty bound to act if he found out that he helped to destroy those supplies. We can do this without help from Karl."

"Good, I wouldn't want him to get into any trouble."

"We needed help Tully and having a willing participant went a long way toward our success." Moffitt explained.

"I'm not saying you were wrong Doc, but like you said, Dietrich might not be able to overlook any other kind of help."

"I think Karl will be all right. I told him to make sure that someone saw him for the next few days so he has an alibi."

"Then we'd better set this plan into action before Dietrich moves those supplies." Tully grunted.

"You're right of course. Hitch, do you think we can salvage the other jeep? We can travel back to the base faster in two jeeps."

"Maybe. Tully can take a look at it." Hitch shrugged. "I didn't have time to really get a good look at it when I picked you up. I was looking for Tully." Hitch gave Tully an apologetic shrug. "Sorry for leaving you behind."

"You didn't leave me behind." Tully answered. "You came back for me."

Between the three of them they managed to right the jeep. Tully made enough repairs to get it back to the base while Hitch stood guard. Moffitt coded a message to Captain Boggs and helped Tully while he waited for a reply. Tully had just dropped the hood on his jeep when the radio in the other jeep began to crackle.

"It's all set." Moffitt announced after taking the return message and decoding it. "Captain Boggs made a few calls and the shells will be waiting for us when we get back to the base."

"Great Doc, the jeep's ready to roll, we can be there before dark."

The shells were waiting as promised when they arrived back at their base. Hitch went to the hospital at Moffitt's insistence and had his shoulder checked. Tully finished the repairs on his jeep with some help from the mechanics at the motor pool since Hitch wasn't available to help.

They picked up the shells, returned to Dietrich's base and hid them in the bottom of two of the crates. Slipping quietly off of the base they found a campsite and finally got some much needed rest.


	9. Chapter 9

**When Honor and Duty Collide**

BY:AliasCWN

Chapter 9

Dietrich personally supervised the loading of the trucks and waited for the column to form. After two days of waiting for the Rat Patrol to make their move he was being forced to send the supplies on their way. Scout cars had scoured the desert but there was no sign of the two pesky jeeps. He had finally been able to borrow a small spotter plane but it too had been unable to locate the enemy patrol. As his column formed around the precious cargo he nervously scanned the desert around the base.

The enemy had been watching him two days earlier, that much he knew. A reflection had alerted the guards and his patrol cars had chased the jeep with the two remaining members of the Rat Patrol. It wasn't until that sighting that he had dared to believe that one of them had been killed, despite his offer of condolences to Private Pettigrew. But that was two days ago and no one had seen them since. He could only hope that they had picked up Private Pettigrew after his escape and returned to their base.

When the convoy and their escorts were ready he gave the order to leave the protection of the base. Dietrich personally rode in the first halftrack with one hand on the radio, ready to alert the escorts if the jeeps appeared. To his surprise there weren't any sightings despite patrols running ahead of the column and more running behind. They checked every place they thought could be used for an ambush but the entire journey proved to be uneventful. The extra guards at night had also proven to be unnecessary. At the end of the three days he safely delivered the supplies to their destination. Dietrich pocketed his copy of the release form when he officially turned over the cargo. For the first time since it had been delivered to his base he could relax and not have to worry about Sergeant Troy and his little band of renegades destroying the precious supplies. That thought reminded him of Troy's death and he felt a slight pang of regret. Troy had been killed in battle but he had been a challenging opponent and he would miss the sergeant's sharp wit.

The following morning Dietrich was watching his column get ready to return to their base when he saw the plane land to pick up the supplies. One of his halftracks had a loose tread and needed to be fixed so they waited as the mechanics worked on it. The activity at the airstrip caught his eye. He watched idly as crate after crate was loaded onto the plane until there were only a few left. As the crews toiled to fit them all in and strap them down, Dietrich and his column took their leave. As his halftrack led the column toward their base he heard the plane overhead. He watched as it climbed to cruising height and became smaller and smaller in the sky. Just as it became almost too small to see there was a brief flash. Dietrich stopped his column to look for the plane but it was gone. Confused, he called for his radio operator to monitor any radio traffic.

"There are confusing messages from the base Captain." The radio operator announced a short time later.

"What kinds of messages?"

"They've lost the plane Sir." The flustered young man reported. "It's not answering calls and someone reported seeing an explosion."

"Enemy planes?" Dietrich began to scan the sky for threats to his column.

"So far no one has reported sighting any Captain." The radio operator shook his head. "No one knows what happened Sir."

They continued to monitor the radio all the way back to their base but there was no new news. The wreckage of the plane had been found but no reason had been given for the explosion.

"Faulty shells perhaps." Lieutenant Braun suggested. "We were lucky to get them off of our base before they exploded."

"Perhaps." The Captain agreed. "Lieutenant, find me Private Litzman, he should be back from his three day leave by now."

Dietrich was standing in front of his window with his hands clasp behind his back when Karl knocked on his door. Facing the window, the captain bid him enter.

"You wanted to see me Captain?"

"Yes Private, how did you enjoy your leave?"

Karl shifted uncomfortably. "I got bored after only half a day so I helped an old man fix his fences for the rest of my leave."

"You weren't with the other men?"

"No Captain," Karl explained, "all they wanted to do was get drunk and I wasn't in the mood for that. When I spotted the old man fixing his fence I offered to help. He was grateful for the extra hands and invited me to eat with his family. I even slept in his barn for two nights. Wilhem helped too after the first day."

"Wilhem?"

"Wilhem Northam. He is my bunkmate here on the base; he sleeps on the bunk below me."

"I see." Captain Dietrich answered soberly. "And did you get the fence finished?"

"Yes sir." Karl answered with a smile. "It was a very nice fence."

"The next time I give you leave I want you to enjoy yourself." Dietrich said sternly.

"But I did Captain." Karl assured him. "It was a very pleasant three days."

"Did you hear that our prisoner escaped?"

"Yes sir."

"Where did you hear it?"

"The men in the barracks were talking about it when I dropped off my things. I'm sorry sir, but I am not unhappy with the news." The young soldier hung his head.

"And did you hear about our supplies?" The captain continued in the same tone.

"Our supplies?" Karl raised his head in surprise. "You delivered the supplies. You led the convoy yourself. I saw it come back and there were no new holes in the trucks. They are safely delivered are they not?" Karl's eyes were wide as he stared at his commander in confusion.

"They are not." Dietrich growled. "They were destroyed."

"Destroyed? Then you will be transferred to the Russian front?"

"Transferred? What are you talking about?"

"I overheard your clerk tell Sergeant Rhiner that if the supplies were not delivered safely you would be transferred to the Russian front." Karl explained.

"They were no longer my responsibility at the time of their destruction." The captain explained. He looked at the young soldier with suspicion. "What does this have to do with you?"

"If you were transferred I was going to ask you to take me with you." Karl admitted. "But if they were no longer your responsibility perhaps we won't have to go. I don't think I would like the Russian front."

"But you would have asked to go?"

"You are my captain." Karl answered simply.

Dietrich eyed the young soldier with genuine affection. "I had already signed off on the supplies before they were destroyed. I don't think either of us will need to worry about being sent to the Russian front."

"That is good." Karl admitted. "With the Rat Patrol out there I was worried about both of our futures."

Dietrich once again had the feeling that the young soldier in front of him was talking in riddles. Suspicious, he made a decision. "You are dismissed Private, I only wished to know if you enjoyed your leave. I wouldn't worry about going to the Russian front if I were you."

"Thank you Captain." Karl responded with a snappy salute. "I'm glad we are staying, I have friends here."

After Karl left Dietrich summoned Private Wilhem Northam to his office. The young private arrived looking nervous at being summoned into his commander's presence.

"Relax Private." Dietrich ordered after the young soldier nearly knocked a chair over while trying to salute. "I only wish to ask you about your recent leave."

"Yes sir?" Wilhem answered.

"Did you enjoy it?"

"Yes sir."

"What did you do to pass the time?"

Wilhem looked distinctly uncomfortable.

"Well?" Dietrich demanded.

"I was bored sir." He finally answered. "I didn't have much money and I spent most of it on the first day."

The captain nodded his encouragement. "What did you do after your money ran out?"

Wilhem shifted his feet nervously. "I helped a friend."

"Helped a friend do what?"

"It was nothing bad!" Wilhem hurried to explain.

"Then tell me what you helped your friend do."

"Karl was helping an old Arab man fix his fences. That's Karl Litzman, my bunkmate. Karl was helping the old man because he was bored too. He asked if I wanted to help, the old man didn't mind."

"And when was this?"

"On my second day of leave."

"Had Karl been helping earlier?"

"Yes sir, Karl was helping him the day before too. The old man let Karl sleep in his barn so he didn't have to rent a room. Once I started helping he let me sleep there too."

"Were you able to finish the fence?" Dietrich asked casually.

"Yes sir, on the third day."

"We shall have to find a way to make your leaves more affordable. That will be all private."

After Wilhem left Dietrich gave a sigh of relief. He hadn't really doubted Karl but he still felt as if he was missing something. At least now he had some verification that Karl had been on leave and nowhere near the base when the Rat Patrol had rescued Private Pettigrew.

Thinking of the Rat Patrol got him wondering if they had somehow been involved in the destruction of the supplies. As far as he knew no one had figured out what had brought the plane down. He had tried to figure it out but the answer eluded him too. He wondered what the commander in charge of the supplies had told his superiors.

Dietrich went back to work convinced that he had done his duty. He didn't even bemoan the loss of Private Pettigrew. The rescue had been a quiet one. Two of his men had been knocked unconscious and locked in cells, but no one died. He considered that a win when he thought about the amount of damage that particular unit usually inflicted on his base. And the convoy had gotten through with no damage to any of his trucks.

He was a little confused about the cat-and-mouse game the American jeep had played with his patrol cars. He understood that it was a diversion to allow their third member to rescue Private Pettigrew; but why hadn't they shot up the cars? The only conclusion he could come to was that the third member wasn't very good with a 50 caliber machine gun. The surviving two men must have returned to their base and picked up a replacement for Sergeant Troy. He was convinced that Sergeant Moffitt had been the one to sneak in and rescue their teammate. He had to admit, it had been very effective. While they all listened to the chase on the radio their prisoner was getting away. They had been so sure that the entire unit was accounted for that they had ignored basic security.

Dietrich dropped into his seat and began to work on his reports.


	10. Chapter 10

**When Honor and Duty Collide**

BY:AliasCWN

Chapter 10

Sam Troy shifted restlessly in his bed, annoyed at the bandages and bored out of his skull. The first few days he had been in too much pain to notice the passage of time but now it just seemed to drag on forever. The door of the room opened and Troy looked up expectantly. He was hoping to see his team but one of the nurses walked in carrying a tray.

"How are you feeling Sergeant?" She asked as she placed the tray on the small stand by the bed. The sergeant looked grumpy and didn't answer her question so she began to babble cheerfully. "I'm just going to change your bandages and check to see how those wounds are healing."

"They're healing fine." Troy grumbled. "When do I get out of here?"

The nurse gave him a sympathetic smile as she deftly unwound the bandages. "They do look good Sergeant but you are not quite ready to leave here just yet. The stitches aren't completely healed and you still need to regain some of your strength."

"I need to find out what's going on with my team." Troy insisted. "They were due back a couple of days ago and I haven't heard a thing."

"Now sergeant," the nurse murmured, "you mustn't get upset. The doctor doesn't want you all excited."

"I'm not excited." He argued. "I'm worried." He added in a softer tone.

The young nurse paused as her fingers flew over the bandages. "All right sergeant, after I finish here I will see what I can find out about your men."

Troy relaxed into the pillow. "Thank you."

"I don't know how much I can find out." The nurse warned. "The Army doesn't tell us nurses much about ongoing missions, or any other missions for that matter."

"Anything you can find out." Troy answered.

"Just let me finish up here and I will ask around. I go off duty in half an hour."

The nurse finished and collected her supplies. Troy took his medicine without complaint, eager for her to be on her way to check on the others. Slowly the room darkened as the sun set and still the nurse had not returned. Restless, Troy finally fell into a light sleep.

"Sergeant, Sergeant Troy." The nurse's soft voice woke Troy from his sleep. He opened bleary eyes to look up into her face expectantly. "Did you find out anything?"

"No." The nurse shook her head. "I ask everyone who would talk to me but no one knew anything."

Troy groaned.

"But then I ran into these gentlemen and they said that they could answer your questions." The nurse continued with a smile. She looked toward the door.

Troy looked around her toward the door and saw the gentlemen she mentioned. Moffitt, Tully, and Hitch stood there grinning at him.

"Where have you guys been?" He demanded gruffly. Before they could answer he whispered a heartfelt thank you to the nurse. The nurse smiled and whispered you're welcome before leaving the friends to talk.

"Don't wear him out." She warned Moffitt as she passed him to leave the room.

"Where have you been?" Troy demanded again as the door closed behind the nurse.

"We've been busy." Hitch grinned.

"Tully was visiting with Captain Dietrich and we had to go get him before we could finish our mission." Moffitt explained. `

"Visiting Dietrich?"

"It's a long story Troy, are you feeling up to it?"

"Moffitt, I've been lying here imaging all kinds of things; you'd better tell it to me straight." Troy growled.

So they did.

"So Karl helped you rescue Tully? I knew I liked that kid." Troy sighed as Moffitt explained the part Karl had played.

"Hopefully Dietrich won't figure it out and have to act on it." Moffitt replied.

"Dietrich likes him, you can tell by the way he stopped him from helping us escape from that major. He could have disciplined him for even considering it."

"Karl sends his condolences." Hitch relayed the young German's message.

"They think you're dead." Tully added.

"What? Why?"

Tully shrugged. "I guess his men reported killing one of us and the rest of us were accounted for."

Troy looked to Moffitt for an explanation.

"You're replacement was one Corporal Tyrone Patterson, late of the U.S. Army. Dietrich set a trap for us and Corporal Patterson was killed. We buried him in a small grove several miles from the ambush site before we went to rescue Tully."

Troy noticed Hitch's shoulder for the first time. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine Sarge." The blond replied, flexing his arm. "Doc made me get it looked at before we came here."

"How about you Tully?"

"I'm fine too." Tully nodded. "Dietrich sends his condolences for your early demise."

"Troy grinned. "Is he in for a surprise."

"Karl told us that if the supplies were destroyed while they were still in the captain's care he would be transferred to the Russian front." Moffitt continued the story.

"Karl?"

"No, Dietrich." The Brit corrected. "But Karl said that if that happened he would ask the captain to take him along."

Troy frowned. "So how did you get around that?"

Moffitt smiled. "What makes you so sure that we even tried?"

"I know you." Troy growled.

The other three laughed.

"Okay. We decided that we needed a way to blow them up that could be delayed until they were out of the good captain's care."

"Timers." Troy guessed.

"Too noisy….and we couldn't set them far enough ahead. We needed to plant them while they were on Dietrich's base but not blow them up until they were safely turned over to the next commander. And, as the lads pointed out, we had no way of knowing if the convoy would have any breakdowns to delay its arrival at the next base. No, we decided that timers were not the answer."

Troy shook his head. "Then how?"

The other three smiled.

"Do you remember those experimental shells that Hitch was helping with a few months back?"

"How could I forget?" Troy asked gruffly. "We had to get them and Hitch back." Troy looked up at the smiling faces as understanding dawned on him. "They shipped the supplies out by plane!"

Moffitt laughed. "I bet they are still trying to figure out why it blew up. We went into Dietrich's base and managed to bury two of them in the bottom of the crates in the shipment. The plane departed normally and was gaining altitude when it burst into a ball of flames. We headed back here as soon as we knew that the shells had detonated as planned."

"Good thing they did." Hitch added. "Captain Boggs said if they didn't work we would have to chase those supplies all the way to their next stop. That would have taken a while."

"And we would have had to make sure that the shells were destroyed before the Germans had a chance to examine them too closely." Tully added.

"There was that." Moffitt agreed.

"But we already knew they worked." Troy argued.

"The test shells exploded." Moffitt corrected. "But it is possible that only one of them worked and it in turn set the others off. There was a very real possibility that they might not work as planned. Headquarters isn't convinced that they are ready for use just yet." Moffitt smiled at the two younger 'rats'. "Thankfully the two we got worked just fine."

Troy yawned as he nodded. "It would have been tough chasing them down and getting to them before the Germans could take them apart."

"A nightmare." Moffitt shuddered.

"So Karl repaid the debt he thought he owed us and Dietrich gets to stay in North Africa. I wonder what Dietrich would say if he knew Karl saved him from a transfer?"

"Hopefully Dietrich will never know we talked to Karl at all." Moffitt stated. "We didn't want him to get into trouble."

Troy yawned again. "Karl made his choice, and I respect him for that, but you're right, I hope he doesn't end up in trouble."

Moffitt noticed Troy yawning and decided that it was time to go. "We're going to get out of here and get some rest ourselves. We'll see you in the morning."

Troy nodded, too tired to argue.

"Sarge?" Hitch held back as the others left the room.

"Yeah?"

"I'm glad it wasn't you in the back of my jeep this time."

"Yeah," Troy agreed with a sigh, "me too."

"Sleep well Sarge."

"You too Hitch."


End file.
